Nossal High School: Year 9 entry in 2028
Nossal High School in Berwick, in Melbourne's south-east, is a selective entry co-educational government school for Years 9 to 12. It accepts 208 students in Year 9 each year through the ACER selective entry exam.
An independent guide by EagleTeach, based on the school's published admissions pages. We are not affiliated with Nossal High School; always confirm details with the school.
Entry points and deadlines
Applications for Year 9 entry in 2028 open in March 2027 through ACER. Students apply in Year 8 and rank their preferred selective schools.
Nossal takes 208 Year 9 students a year on the selective entry exam.
Year 10 applicants sit a separate EduTest exam rather than the ACER exam. The school runs tours that families can book online.
Testing
Year 9 places at all four Victorian selective entry high schools come from one ACER exam sat in Year 8: Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (60 minutes), Reading and Verbal Reasoning (55 minutes) and Writing (40 minutes). A student can sit the Year 9 exam only once.
About 1,000 Year 9 places are offered across the four schools each year: 85% on exam rank, up to 10% under equity consideration and up to 5% at the principal's discretion.
Year 9 entry in 2028: timeline (last cycle: applications 2 March-24 April 2026, exam 20 June 2026, offers 3 August 2026)
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| March 2027 | Applications open for Year 9 entry in 2028 |
| Late April 2027 (expected) | Applications close |
| June 2027 (expected) | Selective entry exam (ACER) |
| August 2027 (expected) | Exam outcome reports and Round 1 offers |
How to prepare
- ✓ Families in the south-east suburbs should weigh travel to Berwick when ranking schools.
- ✓ Do short Verbal Reasoning sets every week: word relationships and analogies improve with exposure.
- ✓ Simulate the full exam once a month in Term 1 and Term 2 of Year 8, including the breaks.
- ✓ Book a school tour before applications close.
Need help with the tests? one-to-one selective entry tutoring in Melbourne or selective exam preparation.
Common questions
How many Year 9 places does Nossal have?＋
208 each year.
How do students join Nossal in Year 10?＋
Through a separate EduTest exam, not the ACER Year 9 exam.
When is the Nossal entrance exam for 2028 entry?＋
Expected in June 2027, after applications open in March 2027. The last exam was held on Saturday 20 June 2026.
Can my child sit the selective entry exam twice?＋
No. A student can sit the Year 9 selective entry exam only once, so Year 8 is the one attempt.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 2026-10-06.